


legends lie cradled

by adjit



Series: YOI Collab Game - Group 5 [4]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Established Relationship, Fluff, Flying date, Learning to Communicate damn it, M/M, Superheroes, also making out in the sky, but MOSTLY communication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 08:06:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11778918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adjit/pseuds/adjit
Summary: It took a while for Viktor to notice.He didn’t notice at first that Yuuri will breathe in like he’s about to speak, but let loose a flurry of ice or a stream of fire instead of words that curl into your brain and take root, dripping syrupy sweet suggestion and impossible to ignore.But he did notice, eventually. And now he can’t stop noticing.





	legends lie cradled

**Author's Note:**

> This was such a fun AU to play in!! This was part of the collab game on twitter, and as such there's a fair bit more art and fic in this AU!! Check out the series and twitter to see them all!
> 
> There's some beautiful art for this fic, which you can find [right here](https://twitter.com/ice_jsuirya/status/896200141979385856)!!
> 
> If you have questions about the AU, I have some notes in the end notes, so check those out :D

It took a while for Viktor to notice. Which, considering how often he watches Yuuri (for as long as possible, as often as possible, whenever possible), is a little startling to him. 

He didn’t notice at first that Yuuri will breathe in like he’s about to speak, but let loose a flurry of ice or a stream of fire instead of words that curl into your brain and take root, dripping syrupy sweet suggestion and impossible to ignore.

But he did notice, eventually. And now he can’t stop noticing. Because he’s seen Yuuri nudge and prod quietly with his voice until whatever will someone had bows to him and agrees that Yuuri’s suggestions are what’s best, and it should be scary, but it’s Yuuri, and that power is enormous but something Viktor and the rest of the city trusts in his hands.

But now he’s realizing that it’s a power that Yuuri only uses when he doesn’t give himself time to decide against it. 

After, he’ll think that he should have known better, but when he asks, “Yuuri, why don’t use your charmspeak more? Wouldn’t it make things easier?” he doesn’t even bother leading up to the question, just drops it while they’re curled around each other, the television glowing softly in front of them on mute, because neither of them are watching it anyway. He realizes the mistake of his bluntness immediately, because Yuuri’s body goes rigid.

If his tension didn’t alert Viktor that he is doing this wrong, the strangled sound of Yuuri’s voice when he asks “What?” would have tipped him off. 

Viktor immediately turns to face Yuuri, trying to keep his face neutral. But he has to move his arm from around Yuuri to turn, and Yuuri takes that as an opening to put even more space around them. “Oh, I just happened to notice.” Viktor tries to keep his tone casual, to soothe whatever nerve he’s touched by assuring Yuuri that it isn’t a big deal. 

It has the opposite effect. Yuuri bristles, and Viktor can already see his mind overthinking.  _ Shit _ , he’s supposed to be better at this by now. 

“It’s nothing. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Yuuri says.

Viktor begs to differ, but even if he’s done all of this wrong he at the very least knows not to push this right now. “Okay,” he offers, but Yuuri makes a face like he knows Viktor doesn’t believe him.

For a few moments Viktor hopes they’ll just sink back into the comfortable silence they had been luxuriating in before, but even as Yuuri rearranges himself back into Viktor’s arms, he doesn’t lose his tension. Within a few minutes, he’s getting back up.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta—” he says, pushing himself off of the couch. “It’s late, I should, I’m gonna... Sleep.” 

Viktor nods, feeling guilt flare dark and sharp in his chest. He thought it would be a simple question. He doesn’t like seeing Yuuri like this, and hates that he was the cause. He knows better than to treat Yuuri like he’s some fragile thing, just waiting to shatter. But though diamonds cannot break, they should never be handled carelessly because they are so valuable, and Yuuri is worth so much more than a rock could ever be.

The guilt weighs him down, keeps him staring aimlessly at the television for hours after Yuuri flees the room, and only lets him crawl into bed when Yuuri is already curled up, whatever thoughts were plaguing him gone for the moment, lost in the abyss of sleep.

He at least knows that he’s still wanted by the way Yuuri’s pressing his face into Viktor’s pillow, and how easily his half asleep form allows Viktor to slot into place beside him, pressing closer and seeking comfort.

Sleep comes to him slowly, pouring into him only once his swirling thoughts drain away and give it room.

 

He wakes up alone. 

It’s not that Yuuri has never woken up before him, but it’s rare enough that he’s suspicious. When he makes his way to the kitchen and finds no trace of Yuuri there, either, he sighs softly and resigns himself to waiting.

He’s still sitting at the table, staring at a long-cold cup of tea when he hears the front door open. He doesn’t move until Yuuri makes his way into the kitchen, and then only to look up. Yuuri is in workout gear, hair stuck to his forehead in small clumps.

“Went for a run?” Viktor asks with a tired smile.

“Ah… yeah.” It’s silent for a few moments, and Viktor takes another sip of his tea just for something to do. He barely manages to avoid making a face at the temperature.

Yuuri hesitates, as if he’s going to say more, but then his brow furrows in frustration and he drops his eyes and turns to go.

“Hey, Yuuri?”

Yuuri turns around, looking at Viktor with wide eyes. His forehead is still scrunched up with dissatisfaction. 

Viktor feels something unhappy twist in his gut; last night’s guilt, but now stale and gummed up. He ignores it, plans something new, and smiles at Yuuri. It’s smaller than usual, but genuine. Though he may be a master at pretending everything is fine when it’s not, Viktor isn’t going to do that to Yuuri. He can only hope Yuuri will return the gesture.

“Go out with me tonight? And wear your costume.”

Yuuri’s eyebrows raise at that, but Viktor pairs his most innocent smile with the request, so Yuuri inevitably gives in.

 

At seven, Viktor touches down to see Yuuri already waiting on their favorite rooftop, staring out over the city. He wraps his arms around him from behind, but Yuuri only settles into his arms. Viktor pouts for a moment at the lackluster response—Yuuri must have heard him coming. 

“Viktor,” Yuuri starts, and it's almost a sigh. He shifts in Viktor’s arms until he's facing him, wrapping one arm around his neck as the other lays on his chest. “Why are we here? Why in costume?”

Viktor smiles and, unable to resist the slight pout of Yuuri’s lips, kisses him instead of answering. Yuuri only indulges him for a moment before pulling back with a small impatient noise. “Yuuri,” Viktor says, aiming for a purr and ending up closer to a whine. But Yuuri’s hand is firm on his chest and he listens to the unspoken command. He’s just happy that Yuuri is treating him normally, instead of running away like he was earlier. “It's just a date. But the costumes are precautions in case anyone sees us.”

Yuuri narrows his eyes. “Why does that matter?”

Viktor smiles gleefully, and for a moment, Yuuri wonders if he was waiting for a perfect set up. But his thoughts are left behind on the ground as Viktor sweeps him into a princess carry and takes off into the sky. Yuuri yelps and loops his arms around Viktor’s neck, finally giving Viktor the surprised reaction he had been hoping for earlier.

“Well, it’d be strange to see a civilian flying around, you see,” Viktor replies, and Yuuri rolls his eyes and clings tighter.

“Why do  _ I _ have to be in costume?”

“As interesting as it would be, a media scandal about V kidnapping the most beautiful man in the world would be a little messy.”

Yuuri colors, but says, “But V kidnapping Frostfire is understandable.”

“It is widely known that V is completely and utterly infatuated with Frostfire.” Viktor smiles, proud of that fact.

“Despite all attempts at hiding it.” Yuuri smiles back at him, snuggling his face close into his chest as Viktor takes them even higher. 

“According to the internet, I’m very transparent. There’s this one photo compilation of my face everytime I look at you, pointing out that I have ‘heart-eyes’.” Viktor looks down at Yuuri, ridiculously happy at the thought. “Do I have heart-eyes, Yuuri?”

Yuuri blushes at the question, embarrassment keeping him from looking Viktor in the eye to confirm. 

The question was rhetorical, but Yuuri mutters, “Yes.” anyway, and Viktor gives him a heart-shaped smile to accompany said heart-eyes. But then something shifts, Yuuri’s brain running away with his thoughts, and his face darkens. 

Viktor’s smile falters just a little. He decides on distraction for now. “We’re almost there. Just a little more. I’m moving slower than usual so the wind doesn’t bother you too much.”

“My hero,” Yuuri says, teasing lacing his tone, though it’s more fragile than it probably should be.

Viktor just nods, looking at him softly. “Yours,” he promises.

The darkness in Yuuri’s face returns at the word, and Viktor feels the first threads of worry spinning themselves in his head. All he can do for now is hope this helps.

Now that they’re above the city, high enough to see all of it at once, Viktor quietly murmurs, “Here. Watch.” 

Yuuri shifts, just a little, to turn from looking at Viktor to looking at the landscape sprawling out below.

Viktor timed everything perfectly. The sun is steadily sinking below the horizon, bleeding pink and orange and yellow into the sky. But soon pink dims to purple and purple darkens ever closer to the black of a night sky. Yuuri looks for stars, but only the brightest few have begun to stubbornly present themselves. The city below takes advantage of nature’s hesitance, and begins lighting up itself, ersatz starlight challenging the heavens.

The lights of the city illuminate the landscape evenly, dots of light splaying out in a grid, a starscape made by a more systematic god. But here and there are clusters of lights, spilled paint splatters ruining the perfect geometric pattern where the earth refused to budge, or where humanity simply fell back into their inevitable randomness. It makes the cityscape look like a work in progress, ever growing and expanding.

Viktor had heard of people saying that humanity looks like ants, from up above. But he’s never been able to see how anyone could take all of this in and conclude insignificance.

“It’s beautiful,” Yuuri says after watching the transition from evening to night in silence, letting the words fall out of his mouth seconds before his brain catches up to the cliche. But he doesn’t bother to take it back, because the words being said before doesn’t make them less true. He turns to look at Viktor, and for a moment Viktor is seized with the need to do something hopelessly cheesy, like whisper  _ ‘Yes it is’  _ while never looking away from Yuuri’s face. He would mean it, too; he always does when it comes to Yuuri.

He doesn’t do it. He just smiles softly, ducking his head to press a kiss to Yuuri’s forehead. But he might as well have, because it means the same thing. He hopes Yuuri knows that.

“I thought this would be a good place to think,” Viktor says. He's staring off into the distance now, rather than looking at Yuuri. “I used to like to come up here sometimes, for the quiet. I could be alone, for once, without worrying about what everyone wants from me. I felt… Tired, more than anything. Coming up here, flying around looking at the city, helped.” He drops his eyes back to Yuuri. “I stopped coming up here a while ago, though. I didn’t really need it anymore.”  _ Because I had you  _ he doesn’t finish, but Yuuri knows it anyway if the way he’s looking back at Viktor means anything.

“But I thought, maybe you do? Need it, right now. Space to think.” Viktor asks. “I can’t leave you alone up here, but I can be as quiet as possible. Promise.”

Yuuri is silent for a long moment, not even calling Viktor out on his inevitable inability to be quiet. Then he turns his head, burying it into the crook of Viktor’s neck, and relinquishes the offer for quiet in exchange for a whispered sentence.

“Charmspeak is only as powerful as the person who uses it. That’s why I don’t use mine. I’m too weak, it wouldn’t help.”

Viktor shakes his head, already denying it. “Yuuri, is that what you think?”

“Don’t. Don’t tell me I’m wrong,” Yuuri argues, pulling back to look Viktor in the eye. “It’s true. Charmspeak is about power and persuasion and confidence and I…” he trails off, head dropping. “I panicked when I thought you so much as noticed my inadequacies. As if you didn’t already know them.”

“It’s true, I’m well aware that sometimes you forget to give me a goodbye kiss when you leave.”

Yuuri frowns. “Viktor, I’m serious.”

“I am too! It breaks my heart, Yuuri, it really does.” He pauses when Yuuri’s frown doesn’t go away, and continues in a slightly more somber voice. “Yuuri, will you look at me?”

Normally, he’d move himself or guide Yuuri to look at him in moments like this, but he’s not going to risk dropping Yuuri just to do that. But asking Yuuri to look at him is asking him to be incredibly intimate, asking him to be vulnerable and ask for the help that Viktor is about to give. And Viktor knows that Yuuri hates looking weak more than anything, so when he doesn’t move, Viktor’s heart clenches but he doesn’t find himself surprised.

And then Yuuri looks up at him, wide eyes softly saying  _ be gentle, I’m placing myself in your care.  _ Even with his mask on, Yuuri is expressive in everything he does, whispering secrets to the world through every avenue but speech.

Viktor gets lost in it for only a moment, and then he remembers he was going to say something. “You told me not to tell you you’re wrong, but you know I’ve never been very good at listening to instructions. So I’m going to have to tell you anyway.” Viktor pauses as Yuuri laughs quietly, happy to hear even the half-hearted sound of happiness. “But Yuuri, you’re not weak. You’re one of the most powerful supers ever, and you’re the most amazing person in the world.”

Yuuri mutters something that includes the word “biased”, but Viktor only smiles and keeps going.

“You do lack confidence sometimes, but when you don’t give yourself room to doubt? You’re…”  _ Fantastic, beautiful, amazing, breathtaking, inspiring _ . Viktor exhausts his vocabulary trying to find a word to allow Yuuri a peek into his world, to see even a fraction of the way Viktor sees Yuuri. “You’re everything.”

Yuuri’s eyes soften, and Viktor can only smile helplessly in return. 

“And the confidence… That’s what I’m here for, isn’t it? To help you build confidence by telling you how much I adore you every hour of every day? Or, if that doesn’t help, tell me what will. I want to be here for you.”

Yuuri moves one hand to Viktor’s face, and he leans into it, nuzzling him with a satisfied smile. “Just… stay who you are. Where you are.”

“As close to you as possible?” Viktor asks, squeezing Yuuri just a little for emphasis.

“Closer,” Yuuri says, and then, “Kiss me?”

Viktor laughs and says, “Make me.”

Yuuri only looks at him, blinks slowly, then smiles. “I don’t have to use charmspeak for this.”

And he’s right, of course he’s right. Viktor may be the strongest man in the world but he’s not strong enough to resist a Yuuri staring pleadingly up at him, the pull to turn a non-kissed Yuuri into a thoroughly-kissed Yuuri stronger than any force of nature.

Viktor lets his lips meets Yuuri’s and melts into him, thinking distantly that staying close is a promise he is eager to keep. He knows that they haven’t solved anything, not yet, but at least now there’s understanding. They have time to build from there.

He thinks that with Yuuri, time is all he could ever want, before Yuuri begins to take him apart and he can’t think of anything at all.

**Author's Note:**

> A quick rundown of the AU to clarify, if you started here:
> 
> Viktor's superhero persona is V, the world's most beloved superhero, with super-strength, and flight.  
> Yuuri's superhero persona is Frostfire, a super known for his fire/ice powers, but who can also use charmspeak.
> 
> Superheroing is a full-time job, and secret identities are a thing, but Viktor and Yuuri (at this point) have shared their identities and are living and working together! And also in love. But you probably already knew that.
> 
>  
> 
> Come find me on [tumblr](http://adjit.tumblr.com) or [twitter!](https://twitter.com/adjitay)


End file.
